Lock washer



P 1933 H. RC'SENBERG 1,926,917

LOCK WASHER Filed March 3. 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 gwuemtoz HEYMAN RDSENBE R'fi,

. h s M.

Filed March 3, 1952 2.Sheets$heet 2 FIRE- FIE.B.

- gwuenkoz HEYMANRUEEN E Patented Sept. 12, 1933 UNITED STATES PATE NT OFFICE 1,926,917 I LOOK WASHER Heyman Rosenberg, New York, N. Y. Application March 3, 1932. Serial No. 596,636

8 Claims. (01. 151-35) This invention relates to improvements in lock washers of the type provided with radially extending tabs or prongs, and has as its essential object the inexpensive production of a washer of unusually efficient capacity.

A more detailed object is the provision for locking resistance exceeding the resistance of a merely laterally sprung locking prong, and a still further object is the provision of a washer equally efficient in locking threaded fasteners whether the thread be righthand or lefthand.

With these and other objects in view as will in part hereinafter be set forth and in part become apparent, the invention comprises a metal lock washer having outstanding tabs or prongs arched to present cutting edges toward the work engaged, it being preferable to otherwise leave the tabs outstanding substantially straight and non twisted, whereby compression between work engaged, as between a nut on one side and a wall on the other, will be exerted in a direction for springing the arch of each of the tabs and not depending merely upon twisting the tabs or bending them bodily. In further detail, the invention also includes in such a construction the arrangement of the arched tabs such that one edge will outstand laterally a greater distance than the other, so'

that the first will contact with engaging work prior to the second, and the invention still further involves the employment of such tabs (whether of the first or second form stated) arranged to be alternately arched in opposite directions.

The invention also comprises certain other novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts as will subsequently become apparent and be thereafter pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,- Figure 1 .is a view of a washer blank slit to provide the tabs or prongs to be treated to produce the finished article.

Figure 2 is a similar view of a washer blank slotted in a manner corresponding to the slitting of the washer seen in Figure 1 for the same purpose, the slots being employed where the thick-- ness of the material renders desirable the additioiial space thus provided to enable the requisite manipulation of the edges of the tabs.

LFigure 3 is a-perspective view of "a complete v lock washer embodying the features of the present invention.

Figure 4 is an enlarged, detailed end view of two of the tabs of the structure seen in Figure 3 shown in their relation to work as the nut or other moving part is moving to its seated position,

the nut and cooperating wall of the work .being diagrammatically indicated and seen fragmentarily.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 of a blank of a modified form of the washer.

Figures 6 and 8 are views similar to Figure 1 of blanks for modified embodiments.

Figure? is a perspective view similar to Figure 3, but showing that embodiment of the invention having the inwardly-extending tabs.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary detailed edge view in extension illustrating a further modification.

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 5 of two of the tabs of a washer incorporating the modification of Figure 9.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 indicates the body of a washer having the usual opening 2 to receive the bolt or other part on which the washer is to be mounted. The body 1 is slit at 3, 3, or slotted, as at 3', 3', to produce a series of peripheral, radially outstanding tabs or prongs Each tab or prong 4 is arched transversely so that the faces of its side margins will lie oblique rather than at right angles to the planes of the flat portions of the facesof the washer, and thus presentlongitudinal edges 5, 5 extending in the direction in which the concavity produced by the arch faces. The arching, however, is preferably done in such a way that one of the edges 5 is advanced laterally farther than the other, as clearly seen in Figure '4, so that, when the washer is engaged, as by a nut 6 and stressed thereby against a wall 7, the more advanced edges 5 of the several tabs will contact before the less advanced ones and thus leave a space 8 between the less advanced edges and the adjacent face of the 00- operating work. This difference in location of the edges 5 of each tab t is produced not by any twisting or torsional stress on the tab, but by the curving of the tab to the arched position with a greater curving movement at one of its free margins than at the other. This curving action is preferably accomplished by, a stamping machine so that all the tabs are equally and similarly curved and all the curving action is accomplished at the same instant. Furthermore, it is desirable and preferable to have each tab 4 curved in a direction opposite to and alternating with the next two adjacent tabs, so that every other tab faces in one direction while the alternate tabs face in the opposite direction.

The arch of each tab, of course, is susceptible tially exact alinement.

bility of being substantially U-shaped or extending through one hundred eighty degrees, but a complete one hundred eighty degree curve of the tab will not ordinarily be considered preferable, because such a curving will cause the side margins of the tab to face fiatwise toward the work, and unless said side margins are chamfered off or otherwise sharpened to an edge, the resistance -to independent relative angular movement of the work 6 and 7 would then depend chiefly, if not wholly, on friction instead of gouging of a part of the tab into the work. However, it should be understood that the friction and such incidental gouging as might occur with so completely arched tabs renders such a construction available for practical use under certain circumstances, especially where the nut or other part held against rotation does not require maximum resistance restraining its movement. A less degree of arching than one hundred eighty degrees will provide the gouging edges 5 presented in increasingly abrupt angle with the decrease of the degree of the curve of the arch 4. A highly acceptable and eflicient degree of such curve is illustrated in.

detail in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings, though variations therefrom are, as above indicated, well within the spirit, object and intent of the present invention.

In the operation of stamping or otherwise shaping the several tabs 4 to their arched condition, the resulting movement of the longitudinal margins of each tab toward each other incident to such arch causes the several tabs to become spaced apart in the direction of the circumference of the washer. The tabs are preferably arched to the greatest degree at their outer or free ends and taper gradually into the place of blending in the body of the washer in a flat condition. Naturally, it is entirely feasible to extend the arch for the full length of the tab, and when desired across the otherwise fiat por-. tion of the washer, but when that is done a fluted washer results, and, under ordinary conditions of stamping, the fluting of a flat washer will reduce its circumference, and though such a construction is well within the spirit and scope of the present invention, it is not indispensable or required in order to embody the invention, the preferred embodiment involving the employment of a perfectly fiat main body portion or nonslit or slotted portion of the washer. Incident to the arching of the tabs, they are usually slightly,

laterally displaced relative to each other in the direction of the inside of the curve, as clearly seen in Figure 4, though it is entirely possible to straighten them so that they will lie in substan- Whether straight or slightly displaced laterally, the action of the tabs in use will be'substantially the same except in the latter for a slight spring resistance to the advance of the nut or other moving part of the work while the 'nut is moving to the position bringing the tabsinto exact alinement.

The washer 1 is preferably made of steel or other appropriate material adapted to be tempered to give it capacity as a spring so as to maintain" tension. The washers are preferably .stamped from relatively thin sheets of metal and the tempering includes sufficient case-hardening, at least of the tabs 4 and particularly the edges 5, to enable the said edges to enter metal, such as soft iron and soft steel, substantially without injury to such edges.

In operation, when a washer 1 embodying the of a wide variation in degree, even to the possipresent invention is applied on a bolt or other work and a nut or other movable work part is moved against the washer until it strikes the relatively stationary work part, the parts assume the position indicated in Figure 4, the part 6 representing the movable work part or nut, and the part 7 the stationary work part. Though the more advanced edges 5 are thus in contact and will slightly frictionally resist movement of the nut, the nut may be rotated until the crown of the arch of each of the several tabs reaches contact with the opposing work, that is, those tabs having their advanced edge 5 contacting with the face of the nut will have the crowns of their arches brought into contact with the face of the work '1 while the crowns of the arches of the other tabs will be brought into contact with the face of the nut 6. When the tabs are originally alined instead of provided with the lateral sprung condition, as shown in Figure 4, this contacting of the arches will occur at the time the nut is brought into contact with the advanced edges 5. Then as the nut 6 is further tightened toward the work 7, the outstanding edge 5 of each tab 4 will begin to substantially resist movemo ment of the nut, the engaging edges tending to enter the respective parts 6 and '7' of the work as the pressure of the nut increases. There will,

however, be movement of the less advanced edges 5 in the direction of the axis of the bolt on which 1 the washer is mounted, and with suflicient stress the said less advanced edges 5 will be brought to contact respectively with the faces of the parts 7 and 6. While slightly varying results are obtained under varying conditions, ordinarily the 110 first contacting edges 5 will not sufiiciently penetrate the engaged material to actually preventrotation of nut 6 until the other edges 5 are brought into contact. Then a slight movement further of the nut 6 will cause the first contacting edges 5 to actually penetrate into the engaged work an appreciable distance while the other edges 5 also tend to penetrate'but to a less degree and the stress created between the nut 6 and the work 7 is maintained by the presence of the tabs 5 not merely as a tendency for the tabs to' unbend laterally but to maintain the given arched condition of the tab. It is apparent, of course, that with further movement of the nut 6,, after all the edges 5 have come into contact and the arch crowns are at rest against the opposing work, the stress occasioned by the further screwing up of the nut tends to spread the arch of each' of the tabs, that is, flatten or straighten the arch. The spring tension of each arch tending to maintain itself against spreading or flattening affords a dependable, constant, and continuing reactant elastic stress insuring a constantly tight, non-loosening condition between the nut 6 and work '7 while the edges of the tabs having entered the work and nut effectively resist relative angular movement therebetween or any retro grade rotation of the nut In Figure 5 is illustrated a modified embodiment in which the parts are substantially identical with'those just above described except that the arching of the tabs is such as to cause the arch to be uniform at both sides so that one entering edge does not outstand further than the other. With this variation, the foregoing description is applicable and it will be observed that the structure consists of a washer whose tab 4 is uniformly arched to produce entering edges 5, alternate tabs being arched in opposite directions, and the washer being adapted to be em- 150 ries of inwardly-extending tabs 12 is produced,

1,926,917 ployed between the work parts 6' and 7". Part 6' being assumed to be a nut or other moving work when advanced toward part 7 will cause the edges 5 of each alternate tab 4' to contact with the face of the work part 6' while the edges 5 of the other tabs contact with the face of the work 7', and if the tabs have not been initially alined and stand sprung laterally apart slightly, the first movement of the tabs is to straighten out with the advance of the moving part or nut 6' until the crowns of the arches of the tabs reach contact with the respective parts of the work. Then further advance of the nut or work part 6 is accomplished only with a stress tending to flatten the arches of the tab 4' and a resultant penetration of the respective parts of the work by the respective edges 5, which thus maintain the parts 6 and 7' under spring stress and against relative angular movement.

In Figures 6 and 7 is illustrated a washer incorporating the same inventive idea as that seen in Figures 1 and 3, except that the tabs are arranged to extend inward at the inner periphery of the washer instead of outward at the outer periphery. The annulus or washer body 10 is preferably provided with a series of undercut notches 11; that is to say, each of the notches 11 is wide at its outer end or base and terminates in substantially an apex at the place of meeting the inner periphery of the washer. Thus, a seeach having parallel marginal edges extending for the length of the respective adjacent notches 11. If instead of the notches 11 mere slits, as seen in Figure l, or straight slots, as seen in Figure 2, were substituted, the side margins of the tabs 12 would be radial and not parallel, and would, therefore, tend to present penetrating corners rather than entering edges to the material to be engaged. However, such a construction would be by no means unavailable for successful use, but rather well within effective application of the present invention. Each of the tabs 12 is arched transversely exactly as are the tabs 4, so as to produce cutting or entering edges 13, 13, and each alternate tab is arched in a direction to face oppositely from the facing of the two next adjacent tabs. Other sequence is, of course, available but it is desirable, whether the tabs be arranged as seen at 4 in Figure 3 or at 12 in Figure. '7, that certain of the tabs be arched toward one faceof the washer and other tabs be arched toward the other face thereof. The operation of the structure as seen in Figure 7 is the same as that of the structure seen in Figure 3, except for the difference in location of the tabs. 01 course, the entire washer 10 is treated, as by hardening, the same as the washer 1 after the washer structure has been otherwise completed, so that the cutting edges will perform their cutting functions efiectively and will resist wear and also the tabs will possess permanent capacity for spring action.

In Figure 8 is seen a blank in which both the inwardly and outwardly extending tabs are provided. In this structure, the washer 15 is slitted after the manner of Figure 1 to provide the outwardly extending tabs 16, 16, and is notched after the manner seen in Figure 6 to provide the inwardly extending tabs 17, 1'7. It is preferable to arrange the slits for tabs 16 to be located outward of the median line of the several tabs 17 for the sake of maximum strength of a washer of given dimensions, but, of course, other relative locations ofthe longitudinal margins of the several tabsmay be provided as may become desirable.

The tabs 16 in the finished washer (not shown) will be arched either as in Figure 4 or Figure 5, and the tabs 1'7 will be likewise arched, it being understood that certain of the arches with each set of tabs will preferably face one way while the othrs face in the opposite direction. The arrangement in alternate succession is preferable. Also, it will be understood that when other relative locations for the margins of the several tabs are provided, the inner and outer tabs may be alined radially, and in such case each outer tab may be arched to face in the same direction as or in the opposite direction from the facing of its corresponding inner tab.

In Figures 9 and 10 is seen a further slight modification in that the periphery'of a lock washer is divided into tabs 18, 18, by inclined slits 19, 19, so arranged that the side margins of each tab lie respectively at obtuse and acute angles to the face of the respective tab before the arching operation is carried out, so that a relatively sharp cutting edge 2!) results along each side margin of each tab 18 when the tabs 18 are arched, as seen in Figure 10.

While in each of the figures of the drawings the several tabs are shown to be located radially, it is, of course, well within the spirit of the invention to vary the angularity of the tabs so that they may, when desired, extend at a tangent to a circle concentric with the circles described by the inner and outer peripheries of the Washer or either of them. It will also be readily apparent to those familiar with the functioning of lock Washers that the present invention is well adapted for application to threaded fasteners whether possessed of the more popular righthand thread or the less used lefthand thread. The action of the present improved washer is to resist rotation in either direction, so that a left thread nut will be effectively retained against loosening, and a right thread nut will also be locked against retrograde movement, so that stock washers embodying the present invention may be used without necessity for care of provision or selection according to the particular direction of the thread spiral of the fastening device to which the washer is to be applied.

What is claimed is:-.

1. A look washer comprising a body and pro- Jecting tabs, each of the tabs being arched transversely of the tab to a position presenting a cutting edge along each of the side margins of the tab and the cutting edges of each tab being presented in the direction in which the arch of the tab faces and being the most advanced lines of the bases of the arch and each tab being arched to present one of its said cutting edges in advance of the other. 2. A lock washer comprising a body and projecting tabs, each of the tabs being arched transversely of the tab to a position presenting a cutting edge along each of the side margins of the tab, the-washer being adapted for use either with right or left thread fastenings, and having one tab arranged with its arch -facing in an opposite direction from the facing 01' the arch of another tab, and each cutting edge being hardened sufficiently for entering metal, suchlas soft iron or soft steel, substantially without injury to the edge.

3. A washer comprising a body and projecting tabs, each of the tabs being independent and arched transversely of itself to substantially the form of a longitudinal trough, and one of the tabs being arched in an opposite direction from the other.

4. A washer comprising a body and projecting tabs, each of the tabs being independent and arched transversely of itself to substantially the form of a longitudinal trough, and a plurality of tabs being arched in an opposite direction from other tabs.

5. A washer comprising a body and projecting tabs, each of the tabs being independent and arched transversely 'of itself to substantially the form of a longitudinal trough, and each alternate tab arching in an opposite direction from the next adjacent tab.

6. A washer comprising a body and substantially radially projecting tabs, each of the tabs being independent of the other and arched transversely of itself to substantially the form of a longitudinal, substantially radial trough, and one of the tabs being arched in an opposite direction tabs, each tab being arched transversely of itself I to substantially the form of a longitudinal trough with the trough unbalanced so as to present one edge of the tab at one side of the arch in advance of the corresponding edge of the tab at the other side of the arch, and one of the tabs having its arch facing in an opposite direction from the other.

HEYMAN ROSENBERG. 

